Edmonton, Alberta - Alberta defeated UBC 84-64 in game one of the Canada West quarter-final series Friday night in Edmonton.
Despite Joel Friesen's hot start with three straight three-pointers, UBC came out the far more energetic team and had a superb opening quarter. The first quarter is statistically Alberta's best quarter in terms of points scored and the Thunderbirds did well to limit them to just 15 in the opening frame.
The Thunderbirds held a four point lead after the first quarter of play, thanks for the most part to some great outside shooting.
Kedar Wright knocked down his first two attempts from long-range as he lead the 'Birds back from 8-2 down.
Wright continued to knock down shots from the outside as the teams began the second quarter. He was 4-5 from beyond the arc in the first half and was the only Thunderbird to score from 3-point land. A 12-3 run by the Golden Bears to end the second quarter diminished UBC's bright start and lifted the few home fans in the Saville Community Centre.
Friesen hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Golden Bears into the break with a six point lead. His four three-pointers and 14 points helped tip the scale back in Alberta's favour at 39-33.
Alberta were making and taking the easier shots, this was reflected in their superior assist tally in the first half. 12 of their 15 made field goal attempts were assisted compared to only 5 dimes for the Thunderbirds.
A 9-2 run to open the second half did further damage to the Thunderbirds hopes. Friesen knocked down another three and finished off a good defensive set with a layup to take his tally to 19. Alberta's lead stretched to as much as 13 at one point in the third quarter but another Wright three-pointer pulled the 'Birds back to within 10 leaving them a little less work to do in the final frame.
A spectacular alley-oop dunk by Friesen capped his own 25-point, eight rebound night and the Alberta win. The pass by Youseff Ouahrig was just as impressive as the emphatic finish.
The Thunderbirds were outrebounded 44 to 26 and this was a large reason for tonight's loss. Their inability to secure defensive boards allowed the Golden Bears numerous second-chance opportunities, and they were anything but wasteful.
Wright led UBC with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal but he will require more help from his team tomorrow as none of his teammates recorded double digit points.
The teams resume the series on Saturday night – the Golden Bears lead 1-0 in the best-of-three quarter final series. A win tomorrow night would extend UBC's season and take the series to a third game. Tip off is at 6:00pm PST tomorrow, with Sunday's game, if necessary, starting at 3:00pm PST.
